Re: [mule-aist:01306] Re: Fwd: Re: a software library for multilingualisation

[TAKAHASHI Naoto <ntakahas at m17n dot org>]

Munzir Taha writes:

>> We have added a radio button to set the drawing direction in our m17n
>> library demonstration page.
> >
>>   http://www.m17n.org/m17n-lib/demo/m17n-demo.html
> >
>> Please try it.

> But why the text box on the demo "Direct input" turned to be one-line only? 
> Isn't it previously mulit-line?

Yes, it had multiple lines before.  But, we thought those who want to
try multiple lines would prepare a file.  "Direct input" is just for a
quick check, isn't it?

Concerning the fonts:

Munzir Taha writes:

> You can check with professional fonts like Lotus Linotype or
> DecoType fonts.  It will be nice if you can post a screenshot with
> those fonts for us to give feedback. The same poem verse please (I
> want to see why the last shoud-be fatah on Alef with hamza0 appeared
> as a non-correct positioning kasra between the alef and lam)

We do not have professional fonts at hand, so we checked our library
and the Riwaj font.  The library had a bug, but it was unrelated to
the wrong fatha position.  The font lacked the GPOS feature.  More
specifically, "alif with hamza above final form" does not have a GPOS
feature for vowel sign attachment.

Nadim Shaikli writes:

>> I have investigated all the opentype fonts available from the Arabeyes
>> web site. Unfortunately, none of them had appropriate GPOS features.
>> So I imagine that vowels signs have little importance to native
>> speakers.

> This is the first example I've come across in which a font finally has a
> GPOS table and I'm dazed and confused :-)  Needless to say, we need to
> add this table to all our fonts (mind you various applications out there
> can function properly without GPOS), but now the question is how ?

Ideally all fonts should have GPOS features.  However, you have not
felt the necessity so far.  That means not many applications utilise
GSUB features for Arabic.  Actually, all GPOS features are marked as
optional in Microsoft's page.

  http://www.microsoft.com/typography/otfntdev/arabicot/features.aspx

Nonetheless, it would be very nice for demonstrating GPOS aware
software if you provide at least one font with correct GPOS features.

Best regards,

-- 
TAKAHASHI Naoto
ntakahas at m17n dot org
http://www.m17n.org/ntakahas/